Thursday, October 25, 2007

Nary the minimalist, Mariah Carey descended upon midtown Manhattan Tuesday in a cloud of perfume. She calls it 'M.'

Thousands watched inside Macy's at Herald Square, as Carey in a black minidress and sunglasses briskly walked down a purple carpet runway, waggled her fingers hello, and entered a VIP tent. Her new perfume, a flowery scent, is supposed to evoke gardenias, Moroccan incense, and burnt marshmallows. Inside, after a brief photo session, she sat on a white Louis IV-style chair to sign autographs.

Rosette LeMaire, 41, traveled from London on a two-day trip to see Mariah Carey. "She's a fighter!," she said. "She's a fighter! She falls down and she picks herself right up again." LeMaire, who works as a nurse, has been a Mariah Carey fan since 1985. Others stood in line to meet Mariah just for the ride.

Wendy Makepeace, a government official in Hertfordshire, England, likes the perfume. As for Carey, she said, “She’s okay.” Reflecting on Carey's public appearance, Makepeace said, "She wants to come live in the real world."

Most were large admirers of Mariah Carey.

“She's a hero," said Stephanie Smit, 28, of Springfield, New Jersey. Smit, a fan since Mariah’s self-titled debut album was released in 1990, has met Carey on several occasions, attended 12 Mariah Carey concerts, and plans on wearing the perfume. As a real estate agent, Smit often drives clients around while listening to Mariah Carey albums.

In the new ad for ‘M,’ the head of Mariah Carey cradled along a lake's surface below a tourmaline sunset is classic Mariah, known for her cascading high, and then highest notes. In the full-length version of the ad, Mariah’s curving, damp hair, in allusion to Rousseau's masterpiece The Sleeping Gypsy, also reveals her nude posterior. Vibe's online blog suggested the entire ad is photoshopped.

The perfume business, particularly celebrity perfumes, is booming. Perfume sales this year totaled $1.13 billion, up 18% this year. For Elizabeth Arden, the brand behind Carey’s ‘M,’ celebrity perfume accounts for 20% of all company sales. Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Shania Twain, Paris Hilton and others also have profited from the trend in celebrity-sponsored perfume.

On Tuesday, the rules for visiting Mariah were no photographs; she would not sign any outside photos other than the publicity photo of her perfume ad; she would not personalize publicity photos with, for example, a fan’s name.

For Holli Wimberly, 22, who came from Atlanta to see Carey, Carey is a lifelong role model. “I’m mixed,” she explains. Wimberly, grew up in Georgia with a mother who lived in a white section of Cobb County, and a father who lived in a black neighborhood in Decatur. Her best friend Cortney Athena, 23, beside her in line to see Mariah, is also mixed race. So growing up, for Wimberly, there was herself, her best friend Athena, and then, Mariah Carey.

We haven't seen the new Karl Lagerfeld documentary Lagerfeld Confidential just yet, but...The Fug Girls on New York mag were already griping about the special effects and cinematography.

They did give good dish too:

"He’s even messier than we are. Karl’s incomprehensibly cluttered work and living spaces would make Martha Stewart cry: They’re clogged with bowls of rings and accessories, towering stacks of magazines, clothing racks, and at least ten iPods. “I hate hard workers. Things must appear to be casual,” he says. Sweet! We’re never cleaning again."

Also, I thought you might love this Karl Lagerfeld dress, which is 40% off, if you bother to click here. You can wear it next to that bowl of expensive rings Karl has that just got "clogged." Boo hoo.

Monday, October 15, 2007

To many of my friends, the cheerleading flick Bring It On is a constant muse.

So in honor of all those blondes with pom poms and perfect hair, here it goes....

In this month's issue of Elle, Nicole Kidman's stylist apparently keeps flyaways put by spraying a toothbrush with hairspray, and combing them into place just so. This sounds like a good idea for prom, or people who are really ob-sess-ive. Try Oral-B Indicator toothbrush with Sebastian Shaper Hairspray.

This toothbrush looks kind of like a seahorse.

If you want bigger hair, get a round brush under the roots of your hair, and lift up two inches. Still gripping the roots with the brush, bust out hairspray on this area and blowdry accordingly. Continue technique on other areas.

After all that cheering, it's luxurious to clean up with Acqua di Parma's Capri Orange Shower Gel. And protect that hair with Phytodefrisant Balm (e.g., de-frizzying) Relaxing Cream like it's made of gold.

Did any of you have trouble coming to terms with Kirsten Dunst because of her insipid performance in the film version of Little Women (Louisa May Alcott represent, yo)? Me too!It's got to be less dreary in person. This is a photo of Alcott's (less perky) home. No cheerleaders here...

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Katherine Hepburn's eyebrows are picture perfect in this photo, but it's not easy being gorgeous.

For a modified dramatic swoop, you can take one of Anastasia's eyebrow templates and pluck carefully. Feeling bold? Pump it up with the darker shade, all included in the Brow Ex-press palette by Anastasia.

Also, if your foundation looks too cakey, blend the makeup in your hand with some shimmery lip gloss to get a Hepburn-esque sheen. (P.S. Pinky's swear, this is probably not an everyday solution, but a-okay if you're rushing out to a vintage movie or cup of tea with friends.)

Delectable Trivia: Katherine Hepburn would order pecan turtles and other chocolate treats from Mondel's Chocolates, located at 2913 Broadway and 116th St., New York.